Not Supposed To Be This Way
by Abby Ebon
Summary: You aren’t supposed to turn eighteen and become a vampire hunter. You aren’t supposed to have your first hunt in a mall. Your best friends aren’t supposed to turn into werewolves. You aren’t supposed to fall in love with Seth. 1stPersonKate.
1. In One Night My Life Was Changed

**Not Supposed To Be _This_ Way… **

_Abby Ebon _

* * *

In one night, my life was changed… forever.

We, being my father, brother, and I, were held hostage by two bank robbers. I didn't know that then, I just knew we were being held at gun point most of the time. It's sort of ironic, in a way, which twists my heart till I want to laugh, and cry, that my father, being a man of God - died in a strip club.

So did my brother, but Simon had been bitten by vampires, and would have died anyway - just like dad. I find little condolence in the fact that when I hesitated, he told me to kill him.

I guess, it's also ironic, that that night I knew how Seth, the only other survivor of the massacre… and one of the bank robbers, felt when he had to stake his brother.

Because, I am guilty of the same sin, even if they had become- or in my case, would have become, one of the undead.

When it was all over, I couldn't help but stand there, shocked by it all, that nightmare had been real, but in the dawn… it looked so _normal_.

Like it had never happened, but it had, and I have to live with the fact that I was the only surviving member of my family every single day.

Just like Seth.

Before he left, he gave me money though, and then left in a red sports car. Leaving me with my families RV and the rest of my life ahead of me, and frankly, I didn't know what to do.

At first, I followed that road learning to drive the RV, after a few miles, I ran out of gas outside a small town. I received the rest of my education there, but, I managed to keep the majority of the money Seth had given me.

By the time I was eighteen, I thirsty for revenge - not for Seth Gecko, for all I knew he was dead, but on the monsters that had killed the Fuller's - my family…

That night, the moon was full, and I, Kate Fuller, vowed in the church of the Almighty that I would hunt, and kill, the vampires that plagued this earth.

All I had to do… was to go about finding them…

Little did I know then that my quest for revenge would lead me right back to Seth.


	2. When I Made My Vow

**Not Supposed To Be _This_ Way… **

_Abby Ebon _

* * *

When I made my vows, no one thought I was crazy. Vampires- the demons in the night, they might be myth, and the stuff of legends in the States, but here, they are pretty well known to be very real.

_Everyone_ knows _someone_ who knows _something_ about the vampires; if friends or family got turned, or killed, it doesn't matter. They also know, better then we did, what will kill vampires.

The usual set of crosses, holy water, wooden stakes, and sun light; these aren't the only things, but they are the most… _effective_.

When I told the family I lived with what I had gone through - and what I intended to do, they agreed. What they didn't agree with was my going alone. They insisted I take two older boys with me as 'protection' from, well, other men.

I found it kind of silly that I would be _hunting_ and _killing_ vampires yet 'needed' two single twenty-one year old males to take care of me. That was their logic though, twisted as it was to me.

The boys were twins, making Mark and Luke rarer still, as twins were considered lucky when going up against vampires.

I refused at first - I had _seen_ what those monsters were capable of… but they insisted I see what they could do in a fight first.

Left with little choice, I agreed that if I liked what I saw, I'd let come with me.

You must understand something, neither of these boys really _agreed_ - on anything. They were so different, even as twins - Luke was scholarly and pale; pale enough to look white, and had, in a fit of rebellion, bleached his hair blond - it was cut to his shoulders.

Mark was a flirt, and hardly took _anything_ seriously, not even vampires. He was dark enough that his heritage was clear enough, and, unlike Luke, kept his black hair in a boyishly wild style. The on_l_y thing either of them had in common was they were lean, muscular, and taller then me.

Otherwise they argued, _a lot_.

This was the first time either had seemed to notice I was alive, and apparently they had been training to be vampire-hunters too.

They guided me to where they told me they had been training- I was doubtful, but watched what they did. Instead of attacking the dummies, or punching bags- they attacked _each other_.

They danced.

It was the only way I could describe the fighting later – they mesh together with moves that had the possibility to be lethal - and if they hadn't, the violent strikes, and moves in the 'dance' could have seriously injured one of them.

It was awe-inspiring, and I hate to admit it, but I was _impressed _- and apparently it showed. One moment they were fight-dancing, the next, they had stopped on some unspoken signal, and were turned to me, grinning like school-boys.

"I take it you approve, Kate?" Mark purred, Luke rolled his eyes at his brother's antics - but I knew they were watching to see if I verbally agreed. I sighed- I knew when I was beat. I waved a hand, pretending annoyance, turning on my heel.

"Fine, fine- you of both can come along…" I muttered as I left- I was surprised they could hear me, but both let out _yahoos,_ and followed me out.

The first night in the RV, we discussed our pasts with the monsters we were to kill.

I wasn't surprised to learn that they were orphans too; their family had been killed by vampires - just like mine, making me feel a sort of connection with them.

Don't ask me why, I had no other interest in them, but the family I lived with had taken in a lot of orphaned kids. All from vampire attacks- I wasn't the only one interested in killing them, obviously, but I _was_ the only girl.

In the first week we found nothing.

This was odd, for the first places we checked out were the bar, which had reopened, and Luke's and Mark's farm- where they grew up, which we found abandoned.

Well, not _nothing_, in truth we usually too late; finding leftovers, or dust covered wooden stakes. The first few times we stumbled upon this stuff, both Mark and Luke looked like they expected me to throw up.

They had both puked the first time we found something truly gruesome. I hadn't – I'd seen worse at the strip-club. Still, it affects you to see bodies maimed, and dismembered. We never found survivors in that sort of attack.

It put to light how lucky Seth and I had been, all those years ago - how lucky Luke and Mark had been. Hopefully, when, not if, we found vampires that luck would hold up. Who knows, maybe all vampire hunters are lucky like that - maybe it's something that God gave us that set us apart from the normal victims.

All vampire hunters are, usually, former survivors of attacks - it's something that Luke told me. Like I said, Luke is smart- really _smart_. Not just in the bookish way, in the real-life, day-to-day stuff.

He's the one who researches where we go next.

In the RV that once belonged to my father, he put up a map on the wall next to the diner table. It's to put in perspective where we have been (gold pins), what we found (danger levels- yellow is not much- some of those up there, orange is disaster- mostly everything, red is carnage of entire cities, families, or other places where people gather- I hate to see so many up there) then there is what happened only once (white), and what happened reportedly many times (black).

Luke says there is something about the black and red - other then they are close together, that he thinks is a pattern. Mark, for once, agrees with him - neither knows just what is '_familiar',_ but they swear it is. I'm not going to disagree.

In truth, a week later, I'm still kind of spooked to see the strip club reopened. However, there weren't any truckers, and everything seemed so…_normal_. We stayed there for three days more - _nothing_! Luke reassured me that vampires are unpredictable, and as such, couldn't be relied upon when to show.

Mark only shrugged - I think he enjoyed the striping girls. Which made me uncomfortable, remembering Seth's brother, and how he died - and lived. The way he looked at me… still makes me shudder - because now I know just what it was I saw in his eyes, and that makes me hate him.

We left soon enough afterwards - the farm was abandoned, as I said. It was creepy too - weeds in what used to be fields, blood in odd places - and dust. I wondered how many people had been in their family – but, from the looks on their faces, I knew better then to ask.

We didn't stay there for longer then a day - and then we were off again. A month later, we were following leads on nothing but rumors, and the frightened whispers of peasants- who whispered of the vampires, even in the high-noon of day light.

It was then, I think, that I realized how _long_ this might take us - not that I expected this to be easy, but I expected to find a vampire within my first week.

I don't know why, I just did.

Maybe it was because I had had the bad luck to find a nest, when I wasn't looking, so long ago.

Heh, there is an idea - 'not look' for vampires, and you'll find one!

In some ways, it's true - and that, is also how I met Seth again.


	3. To Kill A Vampire

**Not Supposed To Be _This_ Way… **

_Abby Ebon _

* * *

To kill a vampire, your first time, even after many years of practicing for it, is still hard. Luke and Mark learned that the hard way.

We'd needed supplies, so I'd gone to the small mall, Mark and Luke deciding to tag along. We, all powerful would-be vampire hunters that we were, hadn't thought to bring along our weapons.

Mark had a dagger as long as his forearm on his back, but that was it – we should have known better – still, hard to think of a nest of vampires hunting a mall.

It was near dusk, and we went in, trusting in the sun. There was a clerk on duty – and two security guards.

To this day, I hate human-slaves with a passion. Human-slaves are people who willingly put themselves under vampire control, they live to serve the vampires – however literally, until they awaken.

We had not even heard rumors of the malls security being human-slaves, and when the sun set – I knew why, we – with five others, were trapped in here until dawn. I knew then that they hadn't let any leaks survive to spread rumors.

"What's the meaning of this?" An old woman demanded, clutching her purse, as if she was ready to heft it at him and make a run for it.

She wouldn't have gotten far; the windows would hold up under bullets, and they had bars on them, to boot – I didn't have to look to know the exit doors had security overrides – they would be welded shut on the back, too, from the look of them.

I had to wonder how they passed building-inspectors. Maybe they had human-servants in that area as well – it wouldn't surprise me.

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving tonight, Ma'am." The guard said, speaking rather politely, bumping his night-stick on his leg, the old woman would have none of it.

"Now see here –" She begin, but Mark interrupted her – before she could be hurt.

"Why have we been locked in?" The clerk and guards looked between each other – I could tell they _liked_ playing with peoples heads.

"Well, it's like this, sir; we have some business associates who'd like to interview you." The clerk answered, smile firmly in place.

So that was what they were calling murder now – an 'interview'. Fitting, Anne Rice would be _so_ proud. Somehow, I doubted that.

"Well, in that case, where are they?" Another man demanded; his wife and two daughters clung to each other.

"Right here, sorry to keep you waiting." A woman, a vampire, answered. She was dressed in a tight slip of a red dress that clung to her revealingly. Gee, bit over dressed for a trip to the mall, don't you think?

"I'm Scarlet; you've been gathered here at my request. Please… do not be _alarmed_." She had a husky voice, a drawl that could have come from Mississippi or Virginia – or both. I wondered where she'd grown up before becoming one of the undead.

From behind her, two other vampires appeared. Well, now I know why she'd asked them not to be alarmed.

The vampires were half-transformed, young newly-turned…I had the dreadful feeling, that she wanted me to join the ranks of the unholy undead.

I thought I heard one of the two girls whimper.

"You have two choices, to become our …_meal_, or to become like us…" Scarlet purred, Mark actually looked _interested_; Luke was quick to hit him over the head, just to 'knock some sense' into him.

I did it just to annoy him.

"Sorry Suzy, you ain't sucking anyone dry tonight." The fifth person, who'd had his hood up the whole time, and hadn't really spoken, had finally pulled it back. It was Seth.

I just stood there – staring at him, even as one of the half-changed vampires made a lunge at Luke.

Mark acted quickly- pushing Luke out of the way, taking his dagger-sword and plunging it into the vampires chest – apparently, it didn't hit it's heart, and it yanked the dagger out, and threw Mark across the other side of the room.

I don't think I was the only one to winch. In the commotion Scarlet and her two vampire-henchmen disappeared. Seth did not look too happy at the turn of events – his element of surprise had been taken away, and stolen by vampires –damned insulting to a vampire-hunter, that.

Luke and I shared a look, and we edged our way to Mark, he groaned – rubbing the back of his neck carefully. He shouldn't have survived it – but he had. For better or worse, we needed to at least fight back.

We heard the old lady scream, and remembered that there were others, who didn't know how to fight back – we had to protect them.

This was our first real hunt – and so far, the vampires were winning. They had everything we didn't – most of all, weapons.

"That can't be good…" I heard Luke mumble, he wasn't talking about the scream though – he was looking at Mark's bent dagger-sword.

"Ah, shit man…" Mark looked heartbroken; I almost felt bad for him, but it was worse, because that was our only weapon. I opened my mouth to say something, then I heard the flutter of wings - I tapped him on the shoulder, instead, motioning them for silence.

We stood there, listening, tensed – and waiting.

Then, bloodied, the two little girls who had come into the mall with their parents emerged. I was willing to bet that what was on them was what was left of their parents.

I felt sorrow for them – I knew what it was like to lose your family, all three of us did, but we hadn't been as young as they looked.

The older of the two looked about eleven – her sister about nine. The eleven year old looked at us like a wary war veteran might.

"Mum's dead…we can't find our dad." The little girl told us, her voice breaking.

"Ah, little ones, I don't think he made it…" Mark trailed off, and they walked to us, hand in hand - calm; far too calm.

The thought must have occurred to Luke a second earlier, as the older girl rushed to Mark – Luke got in the way, he must have grabbed the wooden end of the shovel in a rush – because as the broken end shoved into one of them – the metal struck the floor. The older girl fell to dust –and the younger one ran away before we could react.

If Scarlet hadn't known where we were then – she and the other two grown-up vampires knew now.

Luke shook his eyes wide as he stared at the gardening shovel.

Mark, helped him to stand, and Luke, still in a daze, didn't notice that he took the shovel with him – which was just as well, because it was the only one we had.

The other shovels were metal – sometimes I hate modern achievements, they can really get in the way of finding possible wooden stakes –or staffs.

The odds were quickly stacking against us, I resolved to try to find Seth, then it would be four hunters – to four, or maybe one or two more, vampires.

Still, they weren't good odds, but they were better then three hunters with only a wooden staff and a bent dagger-sword between them.

The lights went out.

Someone – or, I was betting, something, had cut the power.

Then a scream – a man's, it seemed that either the man had been killed by his vampire daughter, or Seth had been. It may have been selfish – but I was hoping for the old man.

Most of the night went by like that – the occasional scream or yell, and then silence, when you felt you were being watched – but didn't see the watcher, that's when you knew you were, indeed, being watched.

It was near two in the morning when silence drew in around us. There still hadn't been any sign of Seth since we'd first came into the mall – and it was eerily silent.

I saw a shadow move, and thought it was Seth – I went after it, even as it ducked into a storage closet. My eyes had gotten used to the dark; even so, in here there were no windows to let the dim glow of moon and stars through.

Edgy, I moved to the center of the room –seeing nothing, I let myself relax, and headed out of the storage closet.

Only to have it slam shut in front of me. I heard Mark yell out to Luke that I was still inside the storage closet when it had shut.

"Kate?" I heard Seth say, a light shinning into my face, I blinked away the specks, and the light fell away.

"Seth, what are you doing in here?" I asked, unable to hide the trembling in my voice.

"Was – well, trapping 'em in here." Seth shrugged, sheepish, I caught sight of the silver cross on his neck, and the stake-cross he'd made from the things in the storage closet. I clicked my tongue, impressed despite myself.

"Alone?" I asked, fearing for him, if only a little. He was, after all, the only other one to survive that night in the strip-club.

"Yeah, well, don't exactly come to these things with a friend, now do you?" Seth asked mockingly, there was a pounding on the door – I heard Mark cuss explosively, and Luck shush him.

"Well, some don't…" Seth mumbled, shrugging, and then looking to the door and me amused.

"My team is outside, do you mind?" I asked, motioning to the door, Seth snorted – opened the door, let the boys fall into the room, and slammed it shut again.

"Kate, are you alright?" Luke asked from the floor, groaning, he pushed Mark off him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured him as I helped Luke to stand, Mark already getting up on his own, "guys, I'd like you to meet a old acquaintance, the only other survivor from the attack I survived." I finished, Seth nodded to Luke, giving me an amused look.

"You're… _boyfriends_?" Seth teased, something passing through his eyes that I didn't quite catch.

Mark snorted back his laughter.

"Nah, she's more our sister. You want her?" I couldn't smack him one – so Luke did, smirking in my direction. Seth rolled his eyes, and then turned them to me.

"The rest, as you've probably guessed, are dead; we need to torch the place - any ideas?" Seth asked, I knew he had a few – hell, Mark probably had a few, what we needed was all around us – I just hadn't realized it until now.

"Why the _fuck_ is there _gasoline_ in a _storage closet_?" Mark, ever the blunt one, questioned the sanity of the store-keepers before the human-servants took over. Seth shrugged, grinning in a mischievous way.

"No idea, _really_; but its perfect, isn't it?"

We had to get out of there - _now_, because– right then, the door splintered in half.


	4. Under The Full Moon

**Not Supposed To Be _This_ Way… **

_Abby Ebon _

* * *

I glimpsed it through the hole, its warped human and bat-like face leering at us – its eyes reflecting yellow-light, like a cat.

It snarled at us – and Mark, who was closest to the door – leapt back in surprise.

He cursed, of course, but I was more interested in Seth taking a chainsaw from the corner, (who the hell would be dumb and/or brilliant enough to keep _gasoline_ and a _chainsaw_ in the _same place_?) and firing it up – to my surprise it worked.

Watching a vamp getting its face ripped up (and cut off) by a chainsaw is a very enlightening (and bloody) experience; I couldn't understand where or when Luke ate something that looked vaguely pinkish when upchucked.

Mark, Luke, and I grabbed the three gasoline containers, and a lighter, the plan was to trail it behind us until we made it out of the mall and then torch it.

Feeling faintly nauseated from the fumes and the scent of puke, we make our way out of the storage closet, I hear laughter not very far off – and Seth attempts to find the source; which we knew was Scarlet, or one of the other little girls, but it was for not.

We edged our way back to where the check-out was, easing out way down the walls, slipping between isles, and ducking down under crates as we went.

I'd never noticed how much a mall was like a maze before – but then, I never really had time to visit one.

Let me tell you – darkness makes _all_ the difference. We were a few feet from the door (Seth figured we could use the chain saw to cut through) when things went for the worse.

The first sign that something was wrong was when Mark yelped, and when the flashlight swung around – Scarlet held him pressed against herself, her nails pressed to the skin of his neck and stomach.

If she started to transform, she'd disembowel him. His gasoline container had spilt over, and the bottoms of our shoes were soaked with it.

"Hello, hunters….drop you're weapons… and drop that lighter girly, unless you want to kill your boyfriend here." I stiffened, why did _everyone_ assume I was with Mark?

Nonetheless, that didn't mean I wanted to see him killed. I set the lighter down – my nearly empty gasoline container beside it, Scarlet smiled smugly.

"That's a good girl…now, Seth, how ever did you find me?" Scarlet purred, out of the corner of my eye I saw Seth shudder.

Behind me, I heard the clank of Luke's wooden staff slash-make-shift stake – and the soft tap of his gasoline container dropping; Seth gently put the chainsaw down, keeping a tight grip on the flash light, for all the good it would do us.

"Wasn't too hard, Suzy; you aren't exactly the sharpest vampire – I mean, a _mall_, is where you always liked to go." Seth shrugged, looking somewhat guilty. Scarlet had the nerve to lick her lips, leering at Seth.

I tried not to feel too possessive; I have no claim on Seth…._yet_.

"My offer still stands Seth…join me, and I will let these three live…" Scarlet purred, and Mark, for the first time in his life, looked uncomfortable in a woman's arms.

"I keep telling you Suzy, nothing is gonna get me to come around; not since you Turned." Seth told her, speaking to her as if she were a child unable to understand no.

She pouted, and I saw Mark's bent sword shifting on the side not facing the vampire – it was just at the right angle to drive into her side; with her distracted by Seth, Mark had to be careful to keep it that way.

I heard Luke's softly indrawn breath, and the vampire's attention shifted to him.

"Well, if you don't want me – I could always Turn these two…" She threatened, leaning down – her fangs pressing against Mark's neck.

Mark stiffened, shut his eyes – and shoved the bent dagger-sword into her – she shoved him away – tossing him into the exit, he went through the window glass, and I can only assume he hit the pavement or sidewalk outside.

Snarling, and trying to rip the sword from her side, she didn't pay attention to us.

On unspoken signal, I snatched up the lighter – and Seth, apparently fond of his chainsaw, grabbed it – Luke threw the stake staff into Scarlet, shoving it into her heart.

We ran for the shattered glass – going through it, even as we heard a wail of the vampiric-child behind us.

As soon as we made it out – Luke was at Mark's side, checking for a pulse, he raised his thumb, finding one – and I was too busy watching the vampire-child scramble on all fours toward the exit, flicking the lighter to try to get a flame.

"Come on, Kate!" Luke yelled, noticing the vampire child.

Two feet… the vampire-child's snarling lips, expression twisted into hate and glinting fangs.

"_Kate_!" Seth hollered, knowing as he started up the chainsaw that he would be too late to save me.

The vampire-child, lunging toward me, transforming…A flame – without a thought I threw it into the mall – it flared up, the flames surrounding the vampire-child in seconds; I heard it scream, and disappear from sight.

I stood there, dazed, panting, disbelieving that it was all over so fast – and we, _miraculously_ had survived.

Now, we had to get Mark to the hospital, Seth helped Luke get Mark into the back of his jeep, and I sat shot-gun beside him; the chainsaw, all that was left of our little adventure, went into the front of the pickup with us.

The nearest hospital took us near a grove of trees that led off to a mountain pass. In all the excitement- we had forgotten the full moon.

None of us knew it then, but there are other things then vampires that walk in the night…

As Seth drove, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, we hit a turn hard – and then I yelped a warning – seeing a dog-shape in the road, Seth swerved- nearly sending us off the road.

We hit a tree instead.

Luke yelled – and I turned around in my seat, three huge 'dogs' had surrounded us; each of them could have weighed in at 120-250 pounds – easy, then I saw their eyes – human eyes….

They were _werewolves_…

"_Fuck_! You've got to be _kidding_ me!" Seth yelled, finding that his jeep no longer worked.

In the distance I thought I heard a howl go up. They were howling at the moon, I looked toward it – and sure enough, it was full.

Up ahead, through the grove – I thought I saw a cabin.

Seth, cussing under his breath, grabbed his chainsaw – and motioning for me to follow him out from his side of the jeep; the chainsaw roared to life, and we edged our way to the back, letting the flip down, and I jumped in to help Luke get Mark out of the back.

"Hurry it up you two, our… _friends_ …are getting braver." Seth growled, keeping the chainsaw leveled at them.

"Saw a cabin a bit up ahead in the grove, if we can get to it, we can hole up till morning." I said, frantically trying to remember all my werewolf lore.

Mark's eyes fluttered open and the first thing he saw was my cleavage, he leered, and if I weren't feeling particularly nice to him, I'd have smacked him one – he knew it too. Then his eyes snapped to what Seth was threatening with a chainsaw.

"_Shit_, those wolves?" Mark muttered, I started to worry about a concussion – but we'd have to handle that after we got him through this alive.

"No you ass; they're _werewolves_, don't you read?" Luke grumbled, pulling Mark's arm over his shoulder, helping his twin to stand.

Slowly, with Mark on his feet, we stumbled into the grove, heading to the cabin, the werewolves stayed at a distance at first, letting us see them. As we walked, we saw glimpse of them, the flash of human eyes – the lift of a shadow, snarling teeth.

I got the distinct feeling we were being herded to the cabin. Before I could voice this, they attacked; taking down Luke and Mark.

Before I could move to help them, Seth, who had been trying to get the cabin door to open - had pulled open the door open, grabbed me around the middle, and pushed us into the cabin- the door slamming shut just as a werewolf lunged for it – shaking the door.

I shook – imagining what was happening to the twins – would they be made into werewolves?

Would they be eaten tonight, only to find their remains tomorrow?

Furious, I turned to Seth, interested in him or not – they had been my friends.

"You _fucking_ _idiot_! They could be _dead_! We could have at least _tried_ to save them!" I screamed, hitting my fists into his chest – he took it, grunting, letting me beat up on him.

"I'm sorry Kate, I _couldn't,_ no, I won't watch you die for them…" Seth trialed off- not bothering to explain himself to me, and it was likely he did not know the reasons for his own actions.

I started sobbing, I couldn't help myself. I thought of the horrible things that could be happening to them and – remembering them, and Seth let me lean against him, holding me.

Comforting me, in his own way, and despite being the _reason_ for my condition; I couldn't help but fall for him a little more – I only hoped they'd live through the attack. Then I could watch them kick his ass for a change.

I heard a howl go up; and through the window I saw the twins _changing_…

They screamed – the screams distorting into howls as they changed into werewolves, under the light of the full moon, where once two men had been, two wolves – silver and black, stood.

* * *

_Author Note_: This story is only going to be another chapter long, and then you learn the reason for the title;

"You know, Kate, it's not supposed to be _this_ way…"

"Oh? And _why_ is _that_, Seth?"

"I'm _supposed_ to be on top…"


	5. And Found Love As Well

**Not Supposed To Be _This_ Way… **

_Abby Ebon _

* * *

It's not often in my life that I had been as scared as I was just then, my best friends turning into monsters before my eyes – trapped in a cabin, with no weapons of any sort.

I think I would have preferred to be back in that mall, fighting Scarlet…

It's only half an hour till sunrise, but you'd be surprised how much can happen in half an hour…

It only took a few minutes for them to be attacked – and no less then twenty to be changed into werewolves.

I wonder how much longer I could last if they got inside somehow…

I find myself winching in pain, whenever I look out the window and see one of them, it didn't seem to feel pleasant to turn into a werewolf.

I find myself fishing for a topic to talk about, something to distract us both…

"Why Scarlet…?" I find myself asking, Seth looks up at me, he's been looking to the door every few minutes – wondering what I am, when are all those big bad wolves outside gonna come a knocking?

"What?" Seth asked; focus switching to me, even if he does look twitchy about the door.

"What happened between you two?" I let it settle between us, a waiting game. Seth, not surprisingly, brakes first.

"Met her in a bar, few years back…" Seth started, and why wasn't I surprised to hear him say that?

"Got drunk, had sex – told her about what happened to us." I think he's just trying to annoy me now…

"She…believed me." Way too much awe for a vampire - _bitch from hell_, can we say 'jealousy'?

"We hunted for a while together…" Apparently we _can_ say jealousy…

"Then there was an accident, I ended up pinned down, and Suzy was turned…she was the only one I let escape." Was that, _regret_?

"She changed her name to Scarlet after being turned…I've been tracking her ever since." Seth finished; apparently, he'd noticed the look on my face.

I don't think I was hiding my jealously very well. He looked amused.

"What about you and those twins?" He asked then, his voice carefully void, and his eyes going between me and the door – then to the window.

"They are my friends; we met in the village I grew up in after we parted ways." I mentioned, flinching at the sound of a howl.

Outside – they started to fight over the new pecking order, I wondered what would happen if the twins lost – or won…

Seth grunted, and sat down next to me, his arm over my shoulder.

I didn't protest, I knew I needed to know on a basic level that I wasn't alone in the world, that I had people out there I could, eventually, learn to trust.

I wondered at my – _our_?- future, sitting there with his arm around me, and werewolves howling; would Seth and I part ways again, like last time?

Or would we travel together, fighting the good fight against vampires.

I heard snarling, waking me from a half-sleep, thoughts of fighting vampires with the werewolf twins swimming in my mind. I looked outside to see the twins had turned most of the pack into their bellies, they, for worse or better, were alphas.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" I found myself asking Seth, I felt him shrug, the scent of him filling my nose.

"Well, some say werewolves change completely back into humans – or that they can control the change after their first full moon…" Seth trailed off, and I knew why, vampires we knew – we could predict, werewolves were an unknown.

We could only hope for the best.

I leaned into him, enjoying the closeness, perhaps a little more then I ought to have, there was a knowing look in his eyes, and he reached up a hand, brushing back the hair from my face.

I caught a glimpse of us in the glass – we looked in love, a picture-perfect cover for a good romance book.

My lips twitched at the thought, and I didn't stop myself from leaning into his rough hands. His thumb brushed my bottom lip, the edge of my ear, and I shivered, lust, a strange tingling in my lower belly, crept up my spine.

I was more aware of him then I had ever been of any man before, and as he leaned down to kiss me, the feather touch of his lips against mine sent a sharp jolt of need shuddering over me; I could tell, looking into his eyes, he felt just the same.

The rest of the night was ours, and as the dawn etched across the sky, the pack of werewolves – and Seth and I, slept off our night.

--

"You look like you enjoyed yourselves." Mark mumbled, amused, as he came into the cabin around noon, taking in the sight of me and Seth – he didn't seem objectionable to the idea, so I took it that he'd accepted my choice.

"Oh, I could get used to it…" Seth murmured next to me, his eyes glinting knowingly up at me – he took in the sight of Mark, the torn up clothes, just barely enough to keep him properly covered.

"You two gonna be alright?" Seth asked him, Luke entered then, he didn't have a shirt, and I knew why – he'd torn it to shreds trying to change in them.

"Were human enough…the others though, they are almost half-animal." Mark told him, and Luke, seeing my alarmed look, explained. "They are born werewolves, they like the wolf form though – their leader died a few months back, and they've been trying to change a new one."

"Apparently among the born-werewolves very few leaders are born – and most werewolves, as far as they know, are born in these parts." Mark continued where his twin had left off.

Seth frowned, not liking the thought of so many werewolves without leaders.

"I know what your thinking - don't, we've decided to round up all the werewolves we can, and head for protected land – that way we'll not be a danger…" Luke assured Seth, his eyes wary.

I had to remind myself that they weren't human – even now, newly changed, they'd think along the lines of the two – the human part, and the beast.

Seth nodded, accepting this, I bit my lip.

"So, Seth and I go hunt vampires; and you two are going to be leaders of your…wolves?" I asked my voice shaky, I liked Seth – but I'd never imagined Mark and Luke not having our backs against the vampires we would fight in the future.

"Hey, hey, it isn't like _that_…we'll be around if you need us – just give us a call." Mark assured, glancing at Luke for support in dealing with 'the girl/woman'; the thought amused me, smooth Mark, unable to deal with an upset female.

"Not a howl, eh?" Seth teased, and Mark snorted, Luke's lips twitched.

We stayed in the cabin for two nights after that – getting used to the new Mark and Luke, who weren't all that different from the other version, just supernaturally stronger men, who liked their meat bloody, and turned furry every once in a while.

We saw them a few years later – interestingly, they walked in on us…they've never let us live down what they heard either;

"You know, Kate, it's not supposed to be _this_ way…"

"Oh? And _why_ is _that_, Seth?"

"I'm _supposed_ to be on top…"

…It was perfectly _innocent_ – I _swear_.

* * *

The End


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